The Best of Everything

Best Ofs have been a no-brainer feature for men’s magazines since Caveman Quarterly put out its first “Best Places to Pick up Hot Neanderthal Chicks” issue.

This month comes not one but two food-related Best Ofs. Undisputed king of the Best Ofs (and grand old man of the men’s mags) Esquire digs deep into the Best Of barrel with its ode to the mighty sandwich. From mile-high deli creations to humble banh mi, Esquire leaves no sandwich-related stone unturned. Bonus points for the many, many additional sandwich features that surround the list, including a glossary of sandwich terms and a hilarious interview with Elliott Gould about his eponymous Stage Deli sandwich. But the piece is dinged for putting the McRib on the list.

Meanwhile, over at Details (Esquire’s middle-aged-but-still-trying-to-be-hip son), the topic on the table is “Breakfast in America” (is anyone else hearing the strains of “Take the Long Way Home” in his head right now?). The Details editors want you to know this ain’t no sissy brunch they’re talking about, and most of their cross-country choices are straightforward places at which to get some hefty chow to muffle that hangover. Still, you can’t go wrong knowing a good spot to find boudin in New Orleans, homemade tortillas in San Antonio, or char siu bao (that’s pork buns to you) in New York’s Chinatown.